Molina Devi

Molina Devi (1917 — 13 August 1977), also known as Molina Debi and Malina Debi, was an Indian Bengali actress of Bengali and Hindi film and theatre. As an actress, she played a wide variety of parts, later frequently playing matronly parts, especially Rani Rashmoni, patroness of the 19th century Bengali mystic Sri Ramakrishna. She acted in several dozen films, mostly in Bengali and Hindi. With actor Gurudas Banerjee, she also directed a Calcutta-based theatre troupe, M. G. Enterprises.

Early life Molina Devi was born on 13 August 1917 in Calcutta.

Career Molina Devi started her career as trainee under Aparesh Chandra Mukhopadhyay. She debuted in a silent film at the age of 8.efn-la|"Trained in acting by Aparesh Mukhopadhyay, she debuted in a silent movie as an 8-year-old. She began her stage career, like many of ... She teamed up with Gurudas Bandyopadhyay, her co-artist in theatres to form a troupe, M. G. Enterprise, which specialized in commercial productions of devotional drama where he enacted Ramakrishna and other holy men. She made quite a stir as the lead in the ..."rp|275

In 1954 she got a break through in Puran Bhagat and in 1955, Molina played the title role in the film Rani Rasmani. She also directed a Kolkata based theatre troupe, M. G. Enterprises. Molina worked in Rangana theatre as chief artist. She performed as a singer on radio and contributed for formation of Mahila Silpi Mahal, a welfare association for female artists of Bengal. For her contribution in the field of drama, she receives the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.

Molina Devi and actor Gurudas Banerjee together they operated their own touring theatre, M. G. Enterprises, The Weekly stated that

Milan Samity of Delhi sponsored the M. G. Enterprise of Calcutta, who brought two plays, Thakur Shri Ramakrishna and Baskunther Will, and an able company of actors. The credit for composing Thakur Shri Ramakrishna, round the story of Rani Rashmoni, and for bringing this legendary figure to life on the stage, goes to Molina Devi and Gurudas, who headed the company.... It is not easy to put across a religious theme, but Molina and Gurudas did so convincingly, helped greatly by the telling effects of light and music. Films known to be dubbed versions of other films have not been listed. Any films known to be multilinguals (separately filmed in multiple languages) are explicitly noted as multilinguals.

Year Film title Molina Role Film director Notes & Sources(DB=data base) 1950 Vidyasagar (1950 film) ? Kali Prasad Ghosh Bengali; Sources: DBs, other Gurudas Banerjee as Sri Ramakrishna 1952 Vidyasagar ? Kali Prasad Ghosh Hindi; Sources: DBs 1955 Rani Rashmoni Rani Rashmoni Kali Prasad Ghosh Bengali; Sources: DBs Gurudas Banerjee as Sri Ramakrishna 1958 Sadhak Bamakhyapa ? Banshi Ash Bengali; Sources: DBs Gurudas Banerjee as Sadhak Bamakhyapa 1956 Mahakavi Girish Chandra ? Madhu Bose Bengali; Sources: DBs Pahadi Sanyal as Girish Chandra Ghosh. The film won a 1956 Certificate of Merit. Gurudas Banerjee as Sri Ramakrishna 1964 Bireswar Vivekananda ? Madhu Bose Bengali; Sources: DBs Amaresh Das as Vivekananda, Gurudas Banerjee as Sri Ramakrishna

Partial filmography Srikanta (1930) Chirakumar Sabha (1932) Kapalkundala (1933) Rajrani Meera (1933) Puran Bhagat (film) (1933) Dulari Bibi (1933) Abhagin (1938) Manzil (1936) Karodpati (1936) Bardidi (1939) Rajat Jayanti (1939) Banglar Meye (1941) Matir Ghar (1944) Mane Na Mana (1945) Nandita (1945) Arabian Nights (1946) Ramer Sumati (1947) Srinkhal (1947) Shesh Nibedan (1948) Vidyasgar (1950) Baikunther Will (1950) Sharey Chuattor (1953) Saat Number Kayedi (1953) Nabin Jatra (1953) Annapurnar Mandir (1954) Ora Thake Odhare (1954) Mantra Shakti (1954) Rani Rasmani (1955) Mahakavi Girish Chandra (1956) Ekti Raat (1956) Nilachaley Mahaprabhu (1957) Sree Sree Maa (1958) Indranath Srikanta O Annadadidi (1959) "Jug Devata" (1960) Saat Paake Bandha (1963) Bireswar Vivekananda (1964) Rup Sanatan (1965) Bon Palashir Padabali (1973) Debi Choudhrani (1974) Fuleswari (1974) Moyna (1978)